Ireland country road trip

Bloody google! I have had all sorts of trouble uploading photos and it turns out that google wont import photos that are stored on an I phone or in the apple i cloud. Problem fixed, download their app and duplicate all of my photos onto their platform as well.......

So a quick update on the last week since our Dublin post. We have been on a bit of a road trip heading south east to Kilkenny, Cork, Tralee, Galway and now in Northern Ireland at Derry. We have travelled some miles along motorways where you can do 120kms and over narrow country roads on the Wild Atlantic Way that are barely a car and a half wide and the speed limit reduced to 100km with no verges and plenty of blind corners to keep the Adrenaline flowing. Add to this will be the odd goat, sheep or cow grazing on the side of the road oblivious to the traffic.

Plenty of beautiful sights and amazing ruins of castles, monasteries and abandoned houses that we both look at and think could be our next renovation project. Evenings are filled with music and the odd pint or two of Guinness, Smithwicks amber or a local regional brew.  We have been treated to some great music including Irish ballads and amazing “jam sessions” where. Strangers can meet and join in much like the New Sydney on a Saturday afternoon in Hobart.

 A shot of the remaining tower from the 6th century monastery in Glendalough . A great experience and lovely chance to stretch the legs and explore. 

Whilst under attack from the Vikings the monks would head up the tower and pull up the ladders behind them. No problem the Vikings just camped below and used all of the produce waiting to starve the monks and their gold out.

Kilkenny  castle by night a

 The Irish are not afraid of using colour to brighten up their houses.

 Kilkenny castle by day

Rock of Cashell

Amazing roof structure holding the sandstone roof

Ringof Kerry cliffs

Cliffs of Moher

Miles of dry stone wall as far as the eye can see

Hags head at the end of the cliffs of Moher. We were determined to get to the end once we had started despite it being a bloody lot further than we first thought. 

View from the cliffs of Moher a great day . 

Another shot and you can just see the tower at the end 

 Limestone for miles that was formed during the ice age

Kylemore Abbey

The church at Kylemore Abbey

Tho walled gardens

A pile of Peat ready to go on the fire